REFORM, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge ruled that the family of former NFL player Glenn Foster Jr., who died in law enforcement custody in Alabama, can pursue a lawsuit alleging his death was the result of excessive force. Foster, a former New Orleans Saints defensive end, died on Dec. 6, 2021, three days after being arrested and taken to jail in rural Pickens County for alleged speeding and attempting to elude police. A judge ordered Foster taken to a medical facility in Tuscaloosa for a mental evaluation. Foster was found unresponsive in the back of a law enforcement vehicle when he arrived at the facility. He was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later. His widow, Pamela Foster, filed a lawsuit against officers at the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and jail saying Foster had been beaten, shocked with a Taser and strangled while at the jail. The defendants then asked a federal judge to dismiss the case. U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon ruled Thursday refused to dismiss allegations of excessive force and failure to intervene. Axon dismissed other portions of the lawsuit. The ruling came a day before the third anniversary of Foster’s death. Foster appeared in 17 games for the Saints in 2013 and 2014.If Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets are planning to stay together after this season, they certainly have an interesting way of showing it. The veteran Jets quarterback , after being asked by reporters how they should interpret past comments made about a potential release. The most notable answers might have been the shortest, when a reporter brought up Jets owner Woody Johnson: Reporter: Do you think Woody wants you back? Rodgers: You should ask Woody. Reporter: Have you and Woody had conversations at all, Aaron, about the future? Rodgers: No. Those frosty comments came a day after Rodgers took a direct swipe about , most notably nixing a trade for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy because of a low Madden rating. During his usual appearance on , Rodgers alluded, with a smile, to being released by a teenager: "I have a first time for everything and there's been a few of those this year. I've never been released before. Being released would be a first. Being released by a teenager, that would also be a first. I'm open to everything. I find the comedy in all of it. If that happens, it's a great story." Rodgers is currently wrapping up his second season with the Jets, a tenure that has seen the team go 4-11 with him under center after he missed all of last year with a torn Achilles. Very little has gone according to plan for the Jets since bringing him in, even as the franchise granted him no shortage of control by bringing in preferred teammates (e.g. Davante Adams, Allen Lazard). And with Rodgers now 41 years old, there's not much reason to expect an improvement next year. Should the Jets release Rodgers after this season, they would incur $66.2 million in dead money, costing them $49 million in cap space. They could also do a post-June 1 release, costing them $21 million in 2025 cap space and $28 million in 2026, per . It's still a heavy decision to release a player you bet on taking you to the promised land, especially when giving up means a significant cost on the personnel side. Publicly, Rodgers isn't betting one way or the other on what the team does: "I think anything is truly possible, whether it happens or not ... I think there's going to be some decisions that want to be made the day after the season or a couple days after the season. I'm just not naive — it's not 0% in my mind. I don't think it's a high percentage. "I'm just kind of open to everything at this point, and understanding that there's a lot of things that can happen. January 6 through 7, they could say, 'We want you to come back next year,' but they could just easily say, 'We're going to go a different direction,' whatever that looks like. So again, open to all of it, understanding all of it's possible. And I look forward to those conversations." That said, he also had the tone of someone ready to say their goodbyes after a chaotic summer camp: "I have nothing but gratitude for the Johnsons and everybody I've met here and everybody who brought me in. It's, you know, been obviously not as successful as we thought I was going to be, but I've made a lot of lot of good friends here. Had a lot of really special moments. Had some really difficult ones too, but no animosity. Whatever happens, whatever they decide." The Jets have two more games this season, the first a road trip to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday then a home game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18. We'll see if those end up being the final games of Rodgers' Jets career, but the wind is blowing in one direction based on tone right now.
Celebrating the Festive Season with PU Prime’s Christmas PromotionStock market today: Wall Street holds near breakeven ahead of Christmas
A million US taxpayers to get pandemic-era stimulus checks worth up to $1,400CATL Launches the Bedrock Chassis That Withstands 120 km/h Impact Without Catching Fire or Exploding
Syrian Foreign Minister Warns Iran Against Spreading Chaos In Syria
Union Home Minister Amit Shah (ANI photo) NEW DELHI: Emphasising on the use of technology in implementation of the new criminal laws, home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said it should enable generation of alerts for all criminal cases at pre-defined stages and timelines — right from registration to disposal — for the benefit of victims and complainants. Chairing a review meeting on the implementation of the Bharatiya nyaya sanhita , the Bharatiya nagarik suraksha sanhita and the Bharatiya sakshya adhiniyam with the National crime records bureau (NCRB) brass here, Shah also suggested alerts for investigation officers and senior officers as per pre-defined timelines, so as to expedite the process of investigation. The review meeting — attended by senior officials of the home ministry, NCRB and National informatics centre (NIC) — took stock of the implementation of integration of various software and databases pertaining to investigation, prosecution, forensics and courts at the all-India level. These include the crime and criminal tracking network and systems (CCTNS), national automated fingerprint identification system (NAFIS), prisons, courts, prosecution and forensics with the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) 2.0. In a separate meeting here on Tuesday, Shah also reviewed the implementation of the new criminal laws in Uttarakhand with the state chief secretary and DGP, in the presence of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Asking Dhami to fully implement the laws — which he said are becoming “protectors of civil rights” and the basis of “ease of justice” — as soon as possible, he emphasised on the need to fill the gaps in technology and other areas for their 100% rollout. During the discussions with NCRB, Shah directed the bureau to facilitate complete implementation of new criminal laws in the ICJS 2.0, besides emphasising on usage of applications like eSakshya , Nyaya shruti, eSign and eSummons in every state and UT. On incorporating modern technology for proper implementation of the new criminal laws, Shah said a team of officers of MHA and NCRB should visit the states and UTs to increase the adoption of technical projects and assist them in all possible ways. The home minister called for regular interaction with senior police formations of state and UTs to monitor the progress of CCTNS and ICJS, and provide impetus to the project. He added that use of biometric technology should be adopted to identify unidentified dead bodies and unidentified found persons. Appreciating NCRB’s efforts in the technical rollout of the new criminal laws and NAFIS, Shah said the NCRB should create a data-rich platform to benefit the investigation officers and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system. While reviewing implementation of the three laws in Uttarakhand, Shah said more than one forensic van must be deployed in every district. He called for regular and continuous monitoring of how many zero FIRs have led to justice and how many were transferred to the states. The home minister asked Dhami to review progress of implementation of the new laws every fortnight. This frequency should be once a week for the chief secretary and DGP, he added. Shah also asked the DGP to ensure that all superintendents of police investigate the cases within the prescribed timelines. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword . Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes , messages , and quotes .Regional Resistance: Pathaan Bahini of Chandpur
NINGDE, China , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 24th, CATL officially launched the CATL Bedrock Chassis, the world's first ultra-safe skateboard chassis. With its outstanding performance of withstanding 120 km/h frontal impact without catching fire or exploding, CATL's Bedrock Chassis sets a new standard for intelligent chassis safety, providing comprehensive protection across all scenarios and speed ranges. Lead the industry with the most stringent safety tests With the battery-centered design, CATL's Bedrock Chassis utilizes Cell-to-Chassis integration technology, which directly integrates the battery cells into the chassis, allowing for a shared structural design between them. And based on the decoupling of the chassis from the upper body, the Bedrock Chassis is capable of absorbing 85% of the vehicle's collision energy (compared to around 60% absorbed by traditional chassis). Through various technological breakthroughs, the Bedrock Chassis successfully passed the world's first "highest speed + strongest impact" dual extreme safety test. This achievement enables the chassis to pass the 120 km/h frontal central pole impact test without catching fire, exploding or thermal runway, redefining the benchmark for safety in the industry. Currently, the speed for frontal impact safety test in the commonly used C-NCAP (China New Car Assessment Program) is 56km/h, which, when experiencing a frontal impact at this speed, generates collision energy equivalent to falling from 12-meter-high building. In comparison, a frontal impact at 120km/h is equivalent to falling from a 56-meter-high building, generating a collision energy 4.6 times that of collision at 56km/h. In more stringent frontal pole crash tests, which simulate crashes with non-standard objects such as power poles, large trees, or animals, the impact area is only 1/6 of that in a full-width frontal impact, exponentially increasing impact pressure. At a speed of 120km/h, the impact pressure on the chassis per unit area in a frontal central pole impact is 21 times that of the 56 km/h full-width frontal impact in C-NCAP testing. Due to the extremely high crash speed and intensity, there has been no previous instance of any new energy vehicle daring to challenge a 120km/h frontal pole impact test. With this extreme challenge, CATL's Bedrock Chassis has blazed a fresh trail for the industry. Open the era of ultra-safe transportation through three technological breakthroughs CATL's Bedrock Chassis has delved deep into the realm of structure and material innovation, leveraging three technological breakthroughs to provide unparalleled protection in all scenarios and speed ranges, ensuring rock-solid safety for the entire vehicle. The CATL Bedrock Chassis introduces a revolutionary three-dimensional biomimetic tortoise shell structure, where the body and energy unit framework are integrated, deeply coupled to provide the energy unit with indestructible protection. And its aircraft carrier-grade arresting structure disperses impact forces across multiple pathways during a crash, gradually decelerating the vehicle and significantly reducing the depth and speed at which obstacles intrude the cabin. The utilization of submarine-grade hot-formed steel with a strength of 2000MPa, aerospace-grade aluminum alloy with a strength of 600MPa, and multiple barrier structures further enhance the chassis' rigidity, making it virtually impervious. Moreover, the CATL Bedrock Chassis incorporates an ultra-safe battery cell design, NP technology, and a high-ductility energy-absorbing insulation film, leading the industry in a groundbreaking manner. In terms of high-voltage disconnection, it achieves instantaneous disconnection of high voltage circuit within 0.01 seconds of impact and completes the discharge of residual high-voltage energy in the vehicle within 0.2 seconds, setting a new industry record. Notably, the battery cells have undergone highly demanding tests, including high-speed sled impact tests at 60 km/h, 90-degree bending tests, and breakthrough sawing tests, the battery did not catch fire or explode across all three tests. These tests, all industry-firsts by CATL, have elevated the safety standards of battery cells to new heights. Unlocking the era of customization, and activating a trillion-yuan market The launch of the Bedrock Chassis not only redefines the standard for intelligent chassis safety but also activates a trillion-yuan market. It greatly accelerates the shift towards modular, personalized, and intelligent automotive design. Addressing the common pain points of high investment, long development cycles, and accelerated product iteration in the industry, the Bedrock Chassis incorporates three core characteristics: internal integration, decoupling of the chassis from the upper body, and external openness. With a rich array of toolkits and solution packages, it offers a scalable software and hardware architecture and standardized interfaces, enabling flexible configurations for different vehicle models and scenarios. This allows the realization of a "one chassis architecture, multiple vehicle models" concept and significantly improves development efficiency and shortens the R&D cycle. The time required for mass production of a vehicle is reduced from the traditional 36 months or longer to 12 to 18 months. Furthermore, the Bedrock Chassis breaks the limits of safety and modeling, and expands design flexibility through the design of decoupling of the chassis from the upper body. The fourth-generation Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) technology and inverted battery cell technology enhance the utilization of chassis space while reducing the risk of chassis scraping. Additionally, in terms of intelligence, the chassis supports mechanical decoupling, software decoupling and EE decoupling, enabling L3 to L4 intelligent driving capabilities. It provides high adaptability interfaces and promotes collaborative intelligent applications. At the launch ceremony, AVATR, the first automaker to use Bedrock Chassis, and CAIT-SH, CATL's skateboard chassis arm, signed an agreement to deepen cooperation on CATL's Bedrock Chassis to create a safer, higher-quality travel experience for users. Safety is a never-ending journey. In the future, CATL will continue to break technological barriers through continuous innovation, and work with partners to build a safe ecosystem for EV batteries and vehicles, safeguarding the safety of users. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/catl-launches-the-bedrock-chassis-that-withstands-120-kmh-impact-without-catching-fire-or-exploding-302338927.html SOURCE Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL)
Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” Europe's economy needs help. Political chaos in France and Germany means it may be slower in coming BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe's economy has enough difficulties, from tepid growth to trade tensions with the U.S. Dealing with those woes is only getting harder due to the political chaos in the two biggest European countries, France and Germany. Neither has a government backed by a functioning majority, and France could take a while yet to sort things out. But some problems aren't going to wait, such as what to do about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's America First stance on trade and how to fund stronger defense against Putin's Russia. ‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and $600 million globally “Moana 2” remains at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theaters as it pulled in another record haul. According to studio estimates Sunday, the animated Disney film added $52 million, bringing its domestic total to $300 million. That surpasses the take for the original “Moana” and brings the sequel's global tally to a staggering $600 million. It also puts the film in this year's top five at the box office. “Wicked” came in second place for the weekend with $34.9 million and “Gladiator II” was third with $12.5 million. The 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar” also earned an impressive $4.4 million even though it played in only 165 theaters. Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok as soon as next month, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Executive of Tyler Perry Studios dies when plane he was piloting crashes in Florida ATLANTA (AP) — The president of Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios has died when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The studio confirmed on Saturday that Steve Mensch, its 62-year-old president and general manager, had died Friday. The crash happened in Homosassa, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photos from the scene show the plane having come to rest upside down on a road. Mensch helped advocate for Georgia’s film tax credit of more than $1 billion a year. Perry hired Mensch to run his namesake studio in 2016. Mensch died as Perry released his war drama, “The Six Triple Eight." The film was shot at the Atlanta studio. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% to set its own record. Treasury yields eased after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus The U.S. government has ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. The Agriculture Department on Friday said raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16. Testing will begin in six states — California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania. The move is aimed at eliminating the virus, which has infected more than 700 dairy herds in 15 states.Pathstone Holdings LLC Sells 895 Shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:SMFG)The energy sector in West Africa, dominated by oil and gas production, has long been the backbone of regional economies. However, as global investors, regulators, and communities demand greater accountability, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting has become a critical challenge. The region’s resource-dependent economies face unique obstacles, including fragmented data systems, regulatory inconsistencies, and limited technological infrastructure. Emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) offer transformative solutions to these ESG reporting challenges, enabling the sector to transition from mere extraction to responsible and transparent operations. The energy sector in West Africa relies on a patchwork of manual data collection systems that often lack standardization. This leads to incomplete or inaccurate ESG data, making it difficult to generate credible reports. ESG regulations in the region vary significantly across countries, with some lacking formal frameworks altogether. For companies operating across borders, compliance becomes a daunting task. As companies face increasing pressure to demonstrate sustainability, the risk of greenwashing—where entities misrepresent their ESG credentials—has risen sharply, further eroding stakeholder trust. Issues like oil spills, deforestation, and community displacement are central to ESG concerns in the region. However, companies often lack the tools to measure and report the social and environmental impact accurately. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a game-changer for ESG reporting. Below are key applications of AI that can help reshape ESG reporting in West Africa’s energy sector: Data aggregation and integration: AI-powered tools can aggregate data from multiple sources, such as IoT sensors on oil rigs, satellite imagery, and government databases. These tools not only ensure consistency but also reduce human error and improve the speed of reporting. For example, satellite-based AI solutions can monitor oil spills and detect deforestation near energy projects, providing real-time environmental data for ESG reports. Data validation and anomaly detection: Machine learning algorithms can validate data integrity by cross-referencing information from disparate sources. AI can compare energy output figures with emission levels to ensure consistency, flagging anomalies indicative of underreporting or misrepresentation. Regulatory alignment through NLP: Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms can analyse local and international regulatory texts, helping companies understand and align their ESG reports with the relevant frameworks. AI systems can map company activities to compliance requirements across ECOWAS countries, streamlining multi-jurisdictional reporting. Real-time monitoring and proactive response: AI enables continuous monitoring of environmental and social metrics, ensuring that reports reflect real-time performance rather than outdated information. Companies can also use this data to respond proactively to stakeholder concerns. Greenwashing detection: By leveraging AI for pattern recognition, stakeholders can identify discrepancies between reported ESG metrics and actual performance. This deters companies from inflating their sustainability credentials. Predictive analytics for risk mitigation: AI can also predict potential environmental incidents, such as oil spills or pipeline failures, based on historical data. This helps companies prepare and include risk mitigation strategies in their ESG reports. Resource optimisation and environmental footprint tracking: AI models can optimise resource use and track the environmental footprint of energy projects, ensuring more sustainable extraction processes. Machine learning models can predict water usage in oil extraction, helping companies minimise overuse and report efficiency improvements. Blockchain integration for data integrity: Coupled with AI, blockchain technology can create immutable records of ESG-related data, ensuring transparency and building stakeholder trust. A blockchain-backed AI system could verify carbon offset claims by linking them to on-ground renewable energy projects in the region. The benefits of AI-enhanced ESG reporting are significant: Improved credibility through accurate, data-backed insights. Regulatory confidence through automated compliance with evolving standards. Investor trust is driven by transparency. Operational efficiency through reduced time and cost associated with ESG reporting. As West Africa’s energy sector grapples with the dual imperatives of economic growth and environmental responsibility, adopting AI for ESG reporting is no longer optional. By addressing data fragmentation, regulatory challenges, and greenwashing risks, AI can help companies transition to a more transparent and sustainable model. Governments, corporations, and investors must collaborate to deploy AI solutions tailored to the region’s unique needs, ensuring that the energy sector becomes a leader in responsible resource management. The journey from extraction to responsibility begins with accurate ESG reporting—and AI is the bridge. Oritsemolebi Adebiyi, a Cornell and IE business school MBA graduate, is a finance and sustainability expert.
Optimism grows over passage of 2024 Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Bill
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Editor’s note: The 2024 election is The Eagle’s No. 7 news story of 2024. This is part of a daily series of the top 10 stories in Bryan-College Station and the Brazos Valley this year. Stories will appear daily with No. 1 running in the Dec. 31 edition. Some things changed and others stayed the same in the Brazos Valley during the 2024 election in November. In the Texas House races, the Republican Party held onto its seats in the districts that cover Brazos County but the occupants of those seats changed. After serving their House districts for more than a decade, both incumbents, Kyle Kacal in District 12 and John Raney in District 14, decided not to run for reelection. Trey Wharton and Paul Dyson, both supporters of Gov. Greg Abbott’s school voucher plan, won their seats handily. Both also voiced support to fund Texas public schools. “The public school has to be taken care of, especially in this [District 12] in the fact if the school district is not the largest employer in the community, it’s one of the largest,” Wharton told the Eagle in October. “We need to make sure that they are taken care of at the same time because we’ll have an economic crisis on our hands if we don’t get it right.” Wharton earned his seat in District 12 after defeating Dee Howard Mullins with almost 77% of the vote in the general election. Wharton won the Republican nomination after beating Ben Bius in a runoff election in May after neither won a majority in the March primary against John Harvey Slocum. “I was extremely excited,” Wharton said in November describing his emotions on hearing the results. “It was good to see my hard work pay off and I just want to be a voice for my district. I didn’t come into this with an agenda. My thing was I was doing this to give us a representative that would listen and be there.” District 12 encompasses most of Brazos County outside of Bryan, College Station and Kurten as well as all of Grimes, Madison, Robertson, Walker and Washington counties. In District 14, which is made up entirely of Bryan and College Station, Dyson defeated Democratic challenger Fred Medina with 61% of the vote. Dyson reached the general election after defeating Rick Davis in the Republican primary in March. “You take it all in, you’ve been doing this for a little over a year and there’s so many sacrifices that your family and a lot of other people around you do,” Dyson said on election night. “It’s definitely not just my win, it’s everybody’s win.” Both Dyson and Wharton have spent the month and a half since winning the election going back and forth between their district and Austin to learn more about being a representative. The swearing in of new representatives takes place Jan. 14 when the 89th legislative session convenes in Austin. “At the end of the day we are public servants and we always have to remember that we’re not there to move a personal agenda,” Dyson told the Eagle in October. “We’re there to make sure that our constituents, the people in my district, are properly represented while there in Austin.” At the city council level, College Station incumbents Linda Harvell, Elizabeth Cunha and Dennis Maloney chose not to run again so newcomers David White, Melissa McIlhaney and Scott Shafer were sworn in after winning on Election Day. White won Place 3 with 73% of the vote over Valen Cepak while McIlhaney captured Place 4 with 69.3% of the vote over Aron Collins. The narrowest margin came in the race for Place 6 with Scott Shafer winning the seat by just 221 votes. Bob Yancy ran unopposed in Place 5. All four incumbents held their seats on the Bryan City Council. In District 3, Jared Salvato won with 80.1% of the vote over Bob Achgill; James Edge kept his District 4 seat after earning 66.6% of the vote against Shane Savage; Marca Ewers-Shurtleff won reelection in District 5 with 59.3% of the vote against Patrick Giammalva; and Kevin C. Boriskie held on to At Large Place 6 seat after gaining 62.1% against Justin C. Wager. Bryan council members were sworn in at the November meeting. Republicans Bentley Nettles and Fred Brown prevailed in the Brazos County Commissioner’s Court races. Nettles won Precinct 1 unopposed after unseating incumbent Steve Aldrich in the spring. Brown won Precinct 3 after getting 69.7% of the vote against Libertarian Mike Southerland. Brown reached the general election after defeating incumbent Nancy Berry in the March Republican primary. “I’m excited, I’m humbled because I didn’t know how it would turn out,” Brown told the Eagle in November. “I’m just honored that the people in Precinct 3 had the faith in me to go in and do the things I told them I would do.” Brown and Nettles will be sworn in at the commissioners meeting on Jan. 1. Brazos County voters paralleled the state of Texas as a whole by backing Donald Trump over Kamala Harris for president and Ted Cruz over Collin Allred for senator. Cruz won with 59% of the county vote as opposed to 53% statewide. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, won another term in Texas’ 10th District, winning 63.4% of the vote over Democratic challenger Theresa Boisseau. “From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the people of TX-10 for entrusting me to continue serving them in Congress,” McCaul said in a statement. “it’s my duty — and my honor — to be a voice for Texans and to fight for conservative policies that will allow us to hand down a better America to the next generation.” The voters of Brazos County also had two propositions on the ballot that would change Brazos County from an open range county to a closed range county. Voters approved the two propositions but the enforcement has been put on hold after mistakes were made in the process of putting the propositions on the ballot. The first mistake had to do with the order approving the propositions. There should have been two different orders, one for the commissioners to sign and the other for the county judge to sign. Instead Brazos County General Counsel Bruce Erratt combined the two as one order. The second mistake made in the placing of the propositions on the ballot was that by Texas statute only landowners can vote on stock laws. “But there is also wording in the statute that describes who is qualified to vote on the Stock Laws,” Erratt said in a statement. “In order to vote on the Stock Laws, ‘a person must be a freeholder and a qualified voter.’ In the Nov. 5 election, voters were not qualified as being ‘freeholders’ (landowners).” Erratt has consulted with the state attorney general’s office and the secretary of state’s office. If the open/closed range county vote is voided, the process for getting the two propositions on the ballot would have to start over and the next vote would have to limited to qualified landowners.
WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump said he can't guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." A look at some of the issues covered: Trump has threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow," Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich." He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. "All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field," Trump said. He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who had investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. "Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee," Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, "No," and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. But at another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. "I want her to do what she wants to do," he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, "I'm not looking to go back into the past." Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. "I think you have to do it," he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end "birthright" citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens - although such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and have been shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, "I want to work something out," indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not "want to be breaking up families" of mixed legal status, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back." ___ Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report. The video in the player above is from a previous report.NFL fans are bracing for potential issues with Netflix's Christmas Day games after the streaming giants experienced latency issues during the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight . The NFL sent a cryptic message to NBC when asked to comment about looming connectivity issues . For the first time, Netflix will host NFL games. On Christmas, the streaming giants will feature: the Kansas City Chiefs vs the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1:00 pm EST, and the Baltimore Ravens vs the Houston Texans at 4:30 pm EST. NBC asked an NFL league spokesperson if "there any contingency plans in place for tomorrow in the event Netflix has technical issues?” They received a coy response: “We will be prepared and we are looking forward to a great day.” New York Jets and Giants' sad impact on New York clear to see as TV ratings drop Detroit Lions set for double injury boost as Dan Campbell's Super Bowl plan hots up Netflix will air the games to its 282.3 million subscribers in five languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. The streaming giants reported that 60 million households watched the Paul-Tyson fight. Telluride Legal Strategies founder Rob Rosenberg spoke with Josh Lipton of Asking for a Trend about Netflix's potential challenges. " Streaming is a complex process," he said. "Sometimes when demand is huge, it overpowers the system, it overwhelms it," he continued. "You've got delays, and problems arise. But I would not bet against Netflix. I think that the timing of the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight was a great test case for Christmas Day." "The best way to get good at streaming at scale is to just do it. There were some hiccups in the fight last month, but I think that they're going to nail it on Christmas Day with these games." Netflix loaded up with a stacked broadcasting team for the contests - the pregame show alone will feature Kay Adams, Drew Brees, Robert Griffin III, and Mina Kimes. Ian Eagle will call Chiefs-Steelers with an assist from Nate Burlson and JJ Watt on color commentary. Ian's son Noah Eagle will call Ravens-Texans with help from FOX sports analyst Greg Olsen. Both games feature massive playoff ramifications. The Chiefs can lock up a first-round bye with a win, while the Steelers could put themselves in a position to clinch the AFC North with a win. The Ravens must win out and hope for a Steelers loss to win their division. The Texans have already secured the AFC South title but are still jostling for seeding the tight AFC playoff picture.
Christmas Eve is a magical time of year, full of tradition and family, as people gather together to celebrate. This is no different across Yorkshire, as people across the county prepare for Christmas Day. For many, it will be a time to perform some of the usual Christmas Eve traditions. Get all the latest and breaking news in Yorkshire by signing up to our newsletter here. Some of these may not be specific to just Yorkshire, but many of them are intrinsically linked to this country and the people in it. There are lots of traditions as well which originated here before spreading across the country. For example, it is believed that Yorkshireman William Strickland introduced the tradition of eating a turkey on Christmas Day in the 1500s, while the tradition of eating cheese with Christmas cake also originates here. Here are some of the traditions which take place across Yorkshire. In Richmond, every Christmas Eve in the marketplace, a person wearing a horse's head is sung to by a group of huntsmen, who then bring it to life with hunting sticks and a horn. Seeing T'Owd 'Oss, as the animal is known, is supposed to bring good luck and is rooted in pagan tradition. In Dewsbury on Christmas Eve the bells at the Minster Church are rung once for every year since Christ was born, with the last toll at midnight. For many across Yorkshire and the rest of the country, a midnight mass in your local church is likely to be a tradition. During the rest of the day there will likely be the last-minute rush into town to do some Christmas present shopping And later some wrapping In the evening the Christmas pyjamas will make an appearance as you gather around the telly And a classic Christmas film to get you into the spirit A takeaway for dinner is in order to save energy for the big Christmas dinner cook tomorrow Remembering all of the Christmas presents you forgot to buy and realising it's too late now Being told (or telling others) to "get out that cupboard" Planning to a tee the running order of events for Christmas Day Despite knowing you'll fail to stick to it as you'll opt to stay in bed and do as little as possible Putting satsumas inside stockings as well as a lump of coal Going to the pantomime at the city hall A trip to the local pub(s) to get merry with school friends you haven't seen since last Christmas Eve Scoffing the cookies and sherry left for Santa after the kids have gone to bed Having one too many drinks and swearing you'll not go overboard next year Singing Fairytale Of New York at full blast Lots of hugging Getting home and raiding the fridge